Enjoy your New Years Eve everyone!

I've been neglecting this website. I don't think I've made a 'live' post in all of December, with the stuff you've seen automatically moved over from the 'scheduled' pile. I'm not at all sorry for that, as I needed the break, but I do feel obliged to at least post something new to end this year. Well, not "new" but certainly new to this site. It's a collection of Facebook status updates from the last six weeks. Exciting innit?

As for New Years Eve Lisa, Ginger, LuLu and I will be spending the evening at home. YaYa's at a sleepover, while Smiley is partying at my Mom's place. We have plans to make homemade onion rings, sloppy joe's, and spinach and artichoke dip, while enjoying some margaritas, with cider for the kids.

There's not much to recommend this crappy, taint of a year. There are three exceptions that come to mind: the birth of my new Godson on December 10th, the publication of my columns/public reading of my Halloween story, and last, the Grand Restoration of the Proper Order of Events in the Universe.

By which, of course, I refer to my Yankees taking a 27th - yes, 27th - World Championship.

Anyhow, 2010 has to be better. It has to be, or all is lost. And on that cheery note, on with the show!

* * *

December 22nd: In the midst of our first family fun night . . . homemade tacos, now getting ready to play Topple and Go Fish
[this is a deliberate effort on our part to structure together time with the family. In the end, Week #1 was tacos and bingo instead, but it went great. Both of my older girls took time to tell me how much they loved it over the next few days, and YaYa went so far as to add "Family Game Night" to every Tuesday on her calendar!]

December 17th: So Smiley is wrapping presents with Lisa at the dining room table, and he spots the Zuzu pets we've kept hidden. Speech problems? Not today "Zuhzu Pets!" he yells, inspiring his two year old sister to run around the house repeating news of the sighting.

December 11th: Spent all evening getting the house ready for a visit from Smiley's speech therapist, only to have her cxl this morning because of illness. Good luck keeping this house clean until the rescheduled appt.

Regarding a news report that the remains the Soviets had were not, in fact, Hitler's: I'm not a conspiracy guy. The Towers fell because of the airliners, Oswald killed Kennedy, FDR didn't set out to sacrifice the Pacific fleet, etc. But I think the Ruskies were full of shi* about Hitler's remains. I don't think they ever found the corpse, or at least couldn't ID it.

December 9th: Pretty crappy night. Lisa broke her glasses, I lost five pages of newly written text due to gremlins in the computer, it's snowing, and [soap operal] As The World Turns was cancelled. :(

December 8th: Just gave a hitchiker a ride, which would be a first for me. He came begging for a lift at a gas station, drunk and stranded at 7 at night. Gotta love the South Side.

[I had a 200 pound advantage on the man, and while I agree it was foolish and I won't do it again, I don't think I was in any danger]

[the next night I came to an abrupt stop when a blind man was nonchalantly walking in the middle of a large intersection. With his cane tapping in front of him, he was making a wide, meandering circle in the road, bringing traffic to a stop from all four directions.]

December 8th: Took the kids to school, went to Mass (Feast of the Immaculate Conception), shoveled my walk, now writing and working up the nerve to hit the road to get some things done. Or, I may nap. Either/or.

December 6th: An unusually quiet and Hallmark-y morning, with Lisa sitting with the two oldest girls in the living room, teaching them to sew so they can make their own costumes from some old sheets they found. Oh, and 'Bama crushed Florida. What a nice weekend so far.

December 4th: On hold or voicemail, on hold or voicemail it's all I ever get. I know I'm not a phone person, so I'm just as guilty, but I do, when required, answer the phone AT MY JOB . . .

December 2nd: I bought Smiley a gumball from a quarter machine. He rejected it when I brought it home, pointing to his teeth and starting a fit. Ten minutes later I asked if we were cool. "na-uh," he said, patting his breast. "ooo bwoke my [h]eart". Jeez, what a momma's boy lol

November 23rd: I just took the garbage out and happend upon a possum in our backyard, the first I've ever seen. It looked at me as if to say "WTF dude?", then calmly walked beneath the trampoline. I've been wondering what's been crapping in our (fenced-in) yard. Now I know.
[I don't live in the country. I don't like sharing my backyard with a petting zoo. Ick.]

November 21st: F*! I forgot the baby shower for my best friends wife. I lost the invite but had assumed - there's that word - that it was closer to the due date. No way to get Lisa and Grace home to attend. My status as "Tre's Loser Friend" is assured. &*^@!

November 17th: As of an hour ago my Mom was out of surgery and doing well (knock on wood) [after spending several weeks in a nursing home to recoup, she's back home and back on track]

November 17th: Angel (one of our cats) knocked over a fishtank last night and ate YaYa's Beta. Tears this morning, mitigated by her respect for Angel's prowess. We'll have to buy another soon.
[Actually, while she did knock it over, I later found the Beta on the floor (deceased of course)]